Display case



C. R. ANDERSON DISPLAY CASE Filed Jan. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M C., R. ANDERSON DISPLAY CASE Filed Jan. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZFzUerzZof Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orriee 11 Claims.

The invention relates generally to display cases and more particularly to a display case adapted to rest on top of a counter or the like.

The general object of the invention is to provide a display case having a drawer and adapted for use on a store counter located either in front of the clerk or in back of him with the drawer arranged so that it may be withdrawn either from the rear of the case or from the front.

It is also an object to provide a display case having a drawer withdrawable either from the rear of the case or from the front, the construction being such that, when the drawer is arranged to be withdrawn in one direction, it cannot be withdrawn in the other direction.

Another object is to provide a display case with a drawer in the lower portion thereof, and having a slanting glass constituting a portion of the front wall to permit viewing the interior of the case including the drawer.

A further object is to provide a display case having a top wall constituting a tray and a slanting glass front wall with a card-holding device extending forwardly from the top wall under the glass for price cards or advertising matter which may be viewed through the glass.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the. accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of a display case embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the case.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the case.

Fig. l is a vertical section taken on the line it of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4. i

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line i5-t of Fig. i.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a construction of one of the front corners of the case.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

A display case embodying the features of the invention comprises generally top, front, rear, end and bottom walls with a drawer mounted in the lower portion thereof. The drawer is arranged for withdrawal forwardly or rearwardly of the case. When arranged for forward withdrawal, it is so constructed that it cannot be rearwardly withdrawn and correspondingly when arranged for rearward withdrawal it cannot be withdrawn forwardly. Cooperating with the the drawer is a removable means carried by the case proper which serves to prevent the drawer from being shifted for withdrawal in the opposite direction. Said means further prevents the drawer from tipping when withdrawn in. either direction, a

and also prevents the drawer from being drawn too far out when withdrawn in either direction.

The front wall of the case comprises a downwardly and forwardly slanting glass portion to permit the contents of the drawer to be viewed from the exterior, the glass being removable upwardly to provide space for shifting the drawer for withdrawal in a dilferent direction. The top wall is provided with a forwardly slanting lip underlying the upper portion of the glass front wall, the lip being constructed to support a card or the like for advertising matter.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in the drawings, comprises a case having a top wall H), a rear wall ll, end or side walls 12, and a bottom wall 13. The front of the case comprises a glass portion 14 slantingi downwardly and forwardly from the front edge of the top wall Ill, the case having a vertical front portion at the front edge of the glass portion Hi.

The case, with the exception of the glass portion It, is made of sheet metal parts preferably spot welded together. Thus the top wall I0 is in the form of a tray comprising a flat sheet of metal having its rear edge bent upwardly as at [5 and spot welded to the rear wall II, while its end edges are bent upwardly as at l6 and are spot welded to the respective end walls I2.

To support the glass front l4, eachend wall angle of the glass front l4 and bent inwardly as at I! overlying the side edges of the glass.

Under the glass is an angle 18 (see Figs. '1 and 8) spot weldedto the side wall 12 and forming with the bent portion ll of the side wall a channel to receive the edgeof the glass. At the front edge of the glass the side wall is bent inwardly in a vertical position as at i9 to form a part of the vertical portion of the front wall and to form an abutment for the lower or front edge of the glass. At the upper or rear edge of the glass the inwardly bent portion ll of each side wall is cut away as at ZEl-(see Figs. 1 and 2) to provide slots through which the glass may be inserted or removed. 1

As mentioned above, one of the principal features of the invention lies in the provision of a drawer, indicated generally at 2i, which is removable either forwardly or rearwardly of the case. Preferably the drawer has a depth at its front substantially equal to the vertical portion of the front wall, or in other words, equal to the distance from the front edge of the glass M to the bottom wall 13. The drawer constitutes substantially the entire area of the vertical portion of the front wall of the case with the exception of the inwardly bent portions iii of the side walls. To provide an opening at the rear of the case for the drawer, the rear wall H is terminated a substantial distance above the bottom wall 53, the drawer extending the full width of the rear wall except for inwardly bent portions 22 at the rear edges of the side walls H2.

The drawer preferably comprises a single sheet of metal forming a bottom 23 for the drawer.

At the front of the drawer, the metal is bent up wardly to provide a front wall 2% having its upper edge bent inwardly to form a lip 25. To provide a rear wall for the drawer the metal is bent upwardly as at 25. I Thus the drawer has front, rear and bottom walls but does not have side or end walls.

The drawer is supported for sliding movement by the bottom wall It of the case. To facilitate the sliding movement a pair of angles 2i are secured to the bottom wall It as by screws 23. Thus the bottom leg of each angle supports a lateral edge of the drawer, while the vertical leg of the angle confines the drawer for movement forwardly or rearwardly.

Another feature of the invention is to so construct the case as to prevent the drawer from being withdrawn rearwardly when arranged for forward withdrawing and to prevent forward withdrawal when arranged for rearward withdrawing. To this end the rear wall 25 of the drawer is slightly higher, as illustrated at 38, than the opening provided in the rear wall ll of thecase so that the upper edge of the rear wall of the drawer will abut against the rear wall of the case. Thus when the drawer is arranged for withdrawal forwardly of the case, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the upper edge portion 3b of the rear wall of the drawer abuts against the inner face of the rear Wall E! of the case to prevent rearward withdrawal.

To arrange the drawer so that it may be withdrawn rearwardly, the front end is adapted to be lifted upwardly as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the glass it being slid upwardly to provide space for raising the drawer. When the drawer is so raised, the rear wall 25 thereof is at a sufficient angle to pass under the lower edge of the rear wall ii of the case. The drawer is then moved slightly rearwardly so that the upper edge portion iii! will abut against the rear face of the rear wall ii. In that position the drawer may be withdrawn rearwardly of the case but is prevented from being withdrawn forwardly by abutment of the upper edge portion 3t and the rear wall ii. For convenience, handles 3! may be secured to both the front wall 24- and the rear wall fit of the drawer.

A further feature resides in the provision of removable means serving to prevent the drawer from accidentally being shifted to change its direction of withdrawal, and also serving to limit the extent of withdrawal in either direction and to prevent tipping of the drawer when withdrawn. To this end a projection on one of the side walls it of the case is provided, such projection being in the form of a screw 1' 2 threaded into the side wall Hand extending far enough into the case to overlie the edge of the bottom wall 23 of the drawer. The screw32 thus prevents the drawer from being raised whereby the drawer cannot be shifted for withdrawal in an opposite direction until the screw is removed, and whereby an abutment is provided to prevent the drawer from tipping downwardly when withdrawn. The screw 32 also serves as an abutment for the front wall 2Q or the rear wall 26, depending upon the direction of withdrawal of the drawer, to limit the extent of withdrawal. When it is desired to shift the drawer for withdrawal in the opposite direction, the screw is turned to a position where the bottom wall 23 of the drawer will clear it, thereby permitting the drawer to be raised as illustrated in Fig. 2. A lock nut 33 may be placed on the screw to hold it securely in position.

The top wall it of the case is provided with means for holding advertising matter or the like. As shown herein said means comprises a strip of metal 34 (see Fig. 2) spot welded to the front edge of the top wall iii, and bent upwardly as at 35 and then forwardly as at 36 in parallel relation to and underlying the glass M. The front edge of the strip 34 is reversely bent as at 3'! to receive and support cards or advertising matter. Since the advertising matter will underlie the glass it it may be readily viewed therethrough.

If the case is to be used in connection with the sale of a product such as nut meats or the like for which heat is desirable, an electric socket 40 provided with a lamp 4! may be supported by the upper portion of the rear wall I I. To effectively illuminate the contents of the case a small screen or shade 42 may be secured to the top wall If] to extend downwardly and in front of the lamp 4|.

The bottom wall I 3 of the case may have downwardly extending indentations 43 at its four corners and elsewhere tosupport the case.

In use, when the drawer is adapted to be withdrawn forwardly as shown in Fig. 2, the upper edge portion of the rear wall 26 of the drawer abuts against the inner face of the rear wall H of the case to prevent rearward withdrawal of the drawer. With such arrangement of the drawer the case is adapted for use on a rear counter or a counter which is approached by the clerk from the front.

To shift the drawer for withdrawal rearwardly of the case, the screw 32 is turned out far enough to permit the bottom wall 23 of the drawer to clear, the glass It is slid upwardly and rearwardly, and the front of the drawer is raised to permit the upper edge of the rear wall 26 of the drawer to pass under the lower edge of the rear wall ll of the case. After the drawer has been so shifted the screw 32 is threaded back into place and locked in position by the lock nut 33. The drawer then can be withdrawn rearwardly but not forwardly since the rear wall 26 of the drawer will abut against the rear wall of the case. The screw 32 further serves to prevent the drawer from being withdrawn too far in either direction by abutting the front or rear walls of the drawer. The screw also prevents the drawer from tipping downwardly when with drawn.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided a display case having a drawer removable either rearwardly or forwardlyso that it may be used either on a front or a rear counter. The structure is also arranged so that when the drawer is adapted to be withdrawn forwardly it cannot be withdrawn rearwardly and correspondingly when it is arranged for rearward withdrawal it cannot be withdrawn forwardly. It will also be apparent that I have provided a case having a front wall comprising a forwardly and downwardly sloping glass portion and a vertical portion with the contents of the above-mentioned drawer viewable through the glass. Advertising matter held in the forwardly slanting lip on the top wall and underlying the glass may also be viewed through the glass.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display case of the character described having a drawer shiftable in its relation to the case proper to provide for withdrawal of the drawer forwardly or rearwardly of the case, the case proper being constructed to prevent the withdrawal of the drawer in either direction when it is arranged for withdrawal in the opposite direction, and means to prevent the drawer from being shifted for withdrawal in the opposite direction.

2. A display case of the character described having a drawer withdrawable from the case in either of two opposite directions, said drawer being adapted to abut against the case proper in one relation when arranged for withdrawal in one direction and to abut against the case proper in a different relation when arranged for withdrawal in the opposite direction, said drawer being tiltable at one end only to change the relation of abutment with the case proper whereby the drawer may be arranged for withdrawal in the opposite direction.

3. A display case of the character described having a vertical wall, a drawer within the case withdrawable from the case in opposite directions and having an upper edge portion adapted to abut against one face of said wall to allow withdrawal of the drawer in one direction only and to abut against the opposite face of said wall to allow withdrawal in the opposite direction.

4. A display case of the character described having front and rear walls provided with apertures in the lower portion thereof, a drawer mounted in said case withdrawable either forwardly or rearwardly through said apertures, said drawer having an upwardly extending lip at its rear adapted to abut against one face of the rear wall of the case to allow withdrawal of the drawer in one direction only and to abut against the opposite face of the rear wall to allow withdrawal in the opposite direction.

5. A display case of the character described having a rear wall and an upwardly withdrawable front wall portion, a drawer mounted in the lower portion of said case withdrawable forwardly or rearwardly, the rear portion of said drawer being adapted to abut against opposite faces of the rear wall of the case to prevent withdrawal of the drawer in one direction when arranged for withdrawal in the opposite direction, said drawer being tiltable upwardly at its forward edge when said front wall portion is raised to permit the rear portion of the drawer to be shifted to one side or the other of the rear wall of the case.

6. A display case of the character described having a slanting glass front wall, channel members at the respective sides of the case to slidably support said glass front wall, and a drawer in the lower portion of the case withdrawable therefrom either forwardly when the drawer is arranged in one relation to the case proper or rearwardly when the drawer is arranged in another relation to the case proper, said drawer being tiltable upwardly at its front end when arranged for withdrawal in either direction to shift it for withdrawal in the opposite direction, the glass front wall being movable in said channel to permit the tilting of the drawer.

7. A display case of the character described comprising a drawer shiftable in its relation to the case proper to provide for withdrawal either forwardly or rearwardly of the case, and removable means at the side of the case to prevent such shifting of the drawer.

8. A display case of the character described having a drawer shiftable for withdrawal forwardly or rearwardly therefrom and comprising front, bottom and rear walls, and a screw threaded into the side of the case and adapted to cooperate with said bottom wall to prevent shifting thereof and cooperating with said front and rear walls to prevent complete withdrawal of the drawer in either direction.

9. A display case of the character described comprising in combination a top wall, a glass wall slanting forwardly and downwardly from the front edge of said top wall, a vertical front portion located at the front edge of said glass wall, and a drawer slidable through said front portion, the contents of the drawer being viewable through said glass wall, the glass wall being removable upwardly to permit access to the interior of the case.

10. A display case of the character described having a drawer withdrawable forwardly or rearwardly thereof, and a projection at one side of the case adapted to coact with either the front or rear portion of the drawer to prevent it from being completely withdrawn from the case, said projection being located closely adjacent and above the bottom of the drawer to prevent tipping thereof when withdrawn in either direction.

11. A display case of the character described comprising a drawer shiftable in its relation to the case proper to provide for withdrawal either forwardly or rearwardly of the case, and a removable projection at one side of the case to coact with either the front or rear portion of the drawer to prevent it from being completely withdrawn from the case, said projection being located closely adjacent and above the bottom of the drawer to prevent the drawer from tipping downwardly when withdrawn in either direction and toprevent the drawer from being shifted to change its relation to the case for changing the direction of withdrawal.

CHARLES RALPH ANDERSON. 

